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I despise the whole Christmas holiday and have ever since I was 20 or 21 years old.
However, there's one tradition that we have in my family that makes it possible to get through, and I'll share it with everyone not to brag, but rather with the hopes of encouraging other people to look into it.
My mother was a grade school teacher, and every year her class would go in together to "adopt" a family for Christmas. Several years ago we started doing this, first with one side of my family and then with the other. Now it's expanded to also include my immediate family, as well as one of the organizations that I'm affiliated with.
In a nutshell, it's important to remember that there are a lot of people out there who are, particularly this year, unable to afford to provide any kind of Christmas for their kids. While I agree that the consumerism is horrible, I personally can't think of a rougher time of year for people that are having a hard time making ends meet than the Christmas season. Justified or not, being unable to provide for your kids has got to be the worst feeling in the world.
I think that in our area they recommend that you spend something like $60 per child - hardly a lot of money to help someone out. In reality we generally end up spending quite a bit more on each child and also usually end up with something for the parent, as well as usually including a gift card for a local grocery store.
It's amazing how little it costs out of pocket to turn the worst part of the year for someone completely around. My family doesn't really exchange gifts amongst ourselves much anymore, as we all have agreed that it's much more important to help out someone else who needs it.
I would totally encourage anyone to look into this kind of program into your community. The organization that we contacted goes through the process of verifying that the people who are requesting help are actually in a position that they need it. It's a great organization that is staffed by a group of unpaid volunteers that work all year long. It takes a little cash out of your pocket and a day of braving the madness at the local shopping mall to make a difference for someone who really needs it.
BTW, this year my nephew and niece spent their time shopping for items for the kids. I can't think of a better lesson for them to come away from the holiday with.
A disclaimer - I'm not a religious person, I don't believe in the "meaning of Christmas," and I don't even particularly like children. It still means a lot to me to know that this year we've made a pretty serious difference for four different families at a really hard time of year.
Sorry for the rambling post - I just hope that someone looks into this idea and thinks it's a worthwhile cause.
-Riv
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